Protecting the Weak
by hinami-1412
Summary: Hi! Me again! This is a Soujiro fic during his wanderings! So I hope you enjoy! R&R please!


Disclaimer: I don't own it if I wanted to. . mou

Protecting the Weak

Suiren, a little girl with short dark brown hair and big green eyes looked around wildly at the crowd of people in the marketplace (A/N: I just realized I base it here a lot actuallyI should stop that), trying not to cry. Her mother had been buying vegetables from one of the stands with Suiren obediently staying at her mother's side. But a bird that couldn't fly had caught her attention and she followed it, concerned about the poor thing. 

When she did catch it in her hand, careful not to crush the small black and red bird, it chirped softly. As she made it back to the stand her mother was at, Suiren was shocked to not find her mother there. She looked for a familiar face but found none, making her sob out, "Oka-sama"

Suddenly, she saw a flash of blue; _Oka-sama was wearing a blue kimono! _She thought happily, racing after the blue patch in the crowd. But when she caught her mother's hand, she was in for a big surprise when she realized she was holding a young man's hand instead!

Before she could let go, curious grey (A/N: Isn't that what Soujiro's eye color is? *gets attacked by Soujiro fans for not knowing* ORO!!) eyes blinked down at her, "Are? Daijobu desu ka Chibi-san?"

"'Chibi-san'?" Suiren couldn't help but giggle, "Suiren! My name is Suiren!"

"Suiren-san," he corrected himself and knelt down to her height, "Is something wrong? Where is your mother?"

At the mention of her mother, Shiren sniffled, making both Soujiro and the bird concerned, "I'mI'm lost Onii-chan!"

"Sou ka," he nodded and glanced at the bird in her hands, "And the bird?"

She sniffled again and held his hand, the other hand holding the small bird, "It's hurt. So I want to help it," Suiren looked up at Soujiro with teary eyes, "Will you help me find Oka-sama?"

"Aa. What does she look like?" he asked, ignoring advice he had been told when he was Suiren's age, "_The strong live, the weak die, that's how it's suppose to be."_

"Is it?" Another voice asked, _"The strong are suppose to protect the weak."_

"" Soujiro shook his head to stop those thoughts.

"She's wearing blue just like you Onii-chan!" Suiren held up the bird, "She'll help the kawaii Tori-sama!"

Soujiro blinked, _This little girl is weak but I'll help her. Because I was weak too. _He looked down at the black and red bird, _Because she is protecting something weaker than she is._ "Do you know where you live?"

Suiren handed him a piece of paper from her kimono sleeve and held it out, "Oka-sama said to give this the person who asks!"

__

A tea house not too far from here, Soujiro scanned the paper and smiled at Suiren, "Then let's go!"

"Honto?" her eyes brightened when he nodded, "Arigato Onii-chan!" He started to walk and she followed, "Yay!"

As they walked Soujiro asked, "How old are you?"

"6 years old!" she chirped, making the bird tweet.

Soujiro smiled and opened his mouth to reply when they heard someone call the little girl's name, "Are?"

"Suiren!" a woman with similar dark hair and green eyes sobbed out, "I thought I had lost you!" She ran toward her daughter.

Before she could hug her, Suiren held up the bird, "Tori-sama is hurt Oka-sama. Will you help it?"

Her mother laughed and hugged her daughter, careful not to crush the bird. She looked up at Soujiro and bowed, "Arigato gozaimasu."

"Hai," he smiled, "I have to go. Sayonara Suiren-san. It was nice to meet you."

She hugged him, "You too Onii-chan! Arigato!" The bird chirped in agreement.

Soujiro bowed to them before walking away, _Shishio-san had said the weak perishbut Himura-san is right. The weak should be protected by the strong. And it's worth it to be able to protect._ He smiled to himself, _It's nice to be able to protect_

*~Owari~*

Author's Note: Here is to all the thoughtful people who were kind enough to review my stories! It meant so much and it makes me push through my Writer's Block! (Which takes over a lot actually) If you haven't already, please R&R my other stories too! I hope you liked it! When seeing all those fics about Soujiro wandering and how in some he learns a better truth than the one Shishio taught or in others he comes back to kill Kenshin, I wondered, _Would Soujiro change his way of thinking or not?_ And I thought he would.*shrug* But that's just me. ^^ But thank you again for all your reviews! *sniffs* It meant so much to me! And to all of you who would like to give feedback or would like to help with summaries (*falls over* It's true. I need the help.) please e-mail me! Well take care!

Translations:

Suiren: Water lily

Oka-sama: Mother

Are: Either "are" or "ala" which is kind of like Kenshin's "oro"

Daijobu desu ka?: Are you alright?

Chibi-san: chibi means "mini", "small", or "kid"

Onii-chan: Big brother

Sou ka: I see

Aa: yeah

Kawaii: cute

Tori: bird

Honto: really

Arigato Gozaimasu: Thank you very much

Hai: yes

Sayonara: Farewell


End file.
